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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26493352">Nicky wakes up in a morgue</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serinah/pseuds/Serinah'>Serinah</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Old Guard (Movie 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Different Meeting, M/M, Modern AU, still immortals</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:55:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,779</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26493352</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serinah/pseuds/Serinah</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What you read on the tin. :)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>249</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nicky wakes up in a morgue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>BETA:<br/>Bae and Ven - lob you!! &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky wakes up in the morgue. It’s not the first time, but he still hates it: the cold, the smell, the initial panic of dark confinement. Like a grave. Only it’s all metal and he’s naked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not really an improvement but still better than the actual digging would've been. Another advantage is that no one expects a morgue to be robbed, and certainly no one secures it against an escape, so Nicky just waits, calms his breathing and listens.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence. Nicky props his feet against the wall and pushes his palms against the supposed door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It gives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s out in half a minute but just as cold and still naked. On the chair, there's a medical robe thrown over the back of a chair. It has some kind of spillage on the breast pocket but desperate times…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The storage door opens with no problem from the inside but all the other doors have electronic locks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Waiting until morning in this bone-numbingly cold corridor is not really an option, and while Nicky can get a door open with the right tools, there's nothing here that he can use and for all the perks immortality gives him, superhuman strength is not on the list.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frustrated, he kicks the door with his foot. His </span>
  <em>
    <span>bare</span>
  </em>
  <span> foot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Idiot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, he has clothes in the hotel he checked into last night. What time is it anyway? Nicky glances out of the window — looked more 'not yet light' than 'already dark'-- makes sense. The downside is that Nicky has no idea where he is. Local city morgue? If he'd died on-site like he thinks he did, they wouldn’t have brought him into the hospital.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the hope that someone who’s careless enough to leave his office unlocked is also vain enough to have a spare suit in their office, he checks several doors more but nothing opens, and like that, Nicky arrives at the ground floor. He peeks out of several windows, chooses the one that faces a dark alley, and smashes it open with a receptionist's chair from the lobby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The window isn’t very high and it’s nothing new for him to climb out of it despite the protruding glass shards, but his dangling bits are making it somewhat awkward. At least no one will see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky gets onto the ledge and then holding on the frame he jumps down onto the pavement. His feet hurt, but he runs quickly along the alley towards the direction he thinks he can probably find a taxi.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Parking lot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Huh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nevermind, he just has to make it to—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A guy that’s apparently been tying his shoelaces next to his car stands up and stares. The street light is behind him, so his figure is in the shadows while Nicky himself is stupidly exposed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Great.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this a dream?” the man whispers, in an accented voice full of astonishment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man has dark hair and complexion but that’s all Nicky can make out in the dim light. He has shoes and pants though, giving rise to an automatic stab of envy. His own skin tingles with a weird sensation that goes beyond the cold and a vague need of punching the stranger and grabbing his pants, so instead of just running away, Nicky straightens.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure. It’s a dream. I’m your dream fairy in a sexy nurse outfit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a beat of silence then a snort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I can see that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He still sounds amazed but also like he wants to laugh and Nicky thinks, fuck it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you mind giving me a lift maybe?" he asks boldly. "There was this bachelor party and…" He shrugs as expressively as he can with his body trying to conserve the energy. "I would really appreciate it if you could drive me back to my hotel. It’s not far.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hopefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A lift for my own personal dream fairy,” the stranger nods. “Sure, why not.” He puts his palm on the dark jeep next to him. “Hop in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Nicky says, feeling relieved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s not worried about sitting in a car with a stranger while naked and defenseless. He’s done worse. Besides, what could the guy do? Kill him?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He closes the door and turns to his possible savior.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mouth opens and doesn’t close and his heart stutters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man sitting next to him is familiar. Very, very familiar. Nicky has seen this face in countless vivid dreams for almost a year now. He closes his mouth and swallows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They are staring at each other, the man’s dark, serious eyes boring into his with the intensity of stars and Nicky’s heart restarts, galloping away and taking the last of his reason.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have brain damage,” Nicky blurts out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This is the only explanation. Why else would he be dreaming of his go-to sexual fantasy while being awake?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” the man asks curiously, but now his eyes are roaming all over Nicky’s face and body, trying to peek at his toes even. As if he’s trying to puzzle out if Nicky actually does have brain damage or if there is some other type of damage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(There is. There clearly has to be — why else would he be hallucinating?)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My skull was bludgeoned in last tonight,” Nicky explains to the apparition. “Bar fight.” He shrugs, still staring into the gorgeous eyes. “We should kiss while you are still real.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But maybe they shouldn’t, because what if he can see him but not feel him? But then what about the car—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He puts his hand on the dashboard and jumps on his seat once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems solid,” Nicky says, just as his hallucination opens his mouth. “We definitely should kiss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stranger’s mouth is starting to form a smirk and his eyes are twinkling in an enticing way. “Absolutely.” He leans forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their lips meet and the spark is not as much a spark as it is an explosion and an implosion at the same time. Time loses meaning. The cold melts away and so does Nicky’s body. He can barely feel his toes on the coarse rubber mat and his numb fingers that are clutching the leather covering the stranger’s shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Light and dark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lost and found.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky sees images of his dreams, and new ones of a scrawny, dark-haired boy running around in the sand playing with his multiple siblings, him at school, hating math and enjoying gym and adoring his teacher, then a young man making love to another man, and irrationally, Nicky’s fingers tighten on this man’s body. No one else should touch him — the man, who Nicky has never seen before in his life, is his. The notion should be ridiculous, but Nicky knows it in his heart, deeply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man is Nicky's. His.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They separate to breathe but the man's large warm palms are still cupping Nicky’s face and it’s making him feel stupid. The awe Nicky feels is reflected in the dark pools of infinity, and love he's drowning in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They are quiet for a short second and then, for no apparent reason, the man says, “Joe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Nicky disagrees. “It’s Nicky. Nicolo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instantly, the other man’s face brightens and he grins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Nicky! I'm Joe!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That makes sense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Nicky!” he replies, and his facial muscles pull into a goofy construction approximating a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They are still looking at one another. Joe’s thumb caresses Nicky’s cheek and the smile slips off Nicky’s face as he feels a shiver of pure arousal running down his spine. Joe's eyes flash and his lips curl into something knowing. Nicky’s nostrils flare. He thinks he can smell Joe’s arousal but that’s not possible. Olfactory hallucinations? LSD? Is that what this is? Did he get injected with something at the bar that’s still lingering in his system?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>With his eyebrow quirking, Joe pulls back a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bludgeoned skull you said?” he asks curiously. “Instant death, I take it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Nicky agrees as one does when a stranger seems to be into the same shit you are. Which is ridiculous. “Happens to me sometimes,” Nicky elaborates. “Woke up in a morgue again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Startled into a short chortle, the man’s eyes glance to Nicky’s unconventional attire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that's where the sexy nurse outfit comes from.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky rolled his eyes. “You’ve no idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I think I do, actually.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s quiet for a little while and Nicky has no idea what he’s supposed to do now. Maybe he should try kissing again? Or—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky closes his eyes trying to magic them into a soft bed with his addled brainpower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The first time I died,” Joe says, “was in a car accident.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky’s eyes pop open and almost out of his skull.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a doctor and there was a car crash. I wasn’t on duty that day, just walking out of a shop when I saw it happening, so I ran to help but got hit by another car and…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The story washes over Nicky and he listens to all three stories, kisses Joe in between, and marvels at the idea that maybe… maybe this is all real and he actually found someone else who knew what it was like. To die, afraid and in pain, and wake up, feeling his muscles and bones knitting back together with an excruciating speed of cells pulling back together where you can’t wait for it to be over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe they had been destined to meet and maybe—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about the other two?” he interrupted Joe. “The dark-haired woman and the Asian one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe’s mouth forms an O and Nicky instantly feels a little less foolish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You see them too?” Joe gets out with a hushed urgency.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Oh my god, he was losing his mind. “You mean this is all real?” He starts patting Joe's face and body to confirm what he already knows. The man feels solid, he feels real and this is probably, actually happening. “I’m not hallucinating?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am absolutely sober and am one hundred percent sure that this is real.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay. He’s a doctor, he should know.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe stares at him as if waiting for something more, but then simply nods. “Clothes? You wanted me to give you a lift somewhere?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yes! The hotel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky gives him the address — turns out he’s in the same city after all, and Joe starts the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want my jacket?” Joe asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Won’t you be cold?” Nicky wonders, rubbing his arms together for warmth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The car is actually warm if you have pants on,” Joe replies, sending a humorous twink in his direction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not keeping them for long if I have anything to say about that, Nicky thinks, and smiles.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was my first TOG story, not sure about the characterization yet.<br/>I hope you liked?<br/>&lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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